Mail-bag catcher.



A. M. RYAN.

MAILBAG CATCHER.

APPLICATION HLED FEB. a. 1918,

1,288,210, Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

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MAIL BAG CATCHER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 8, l9l8.

Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

AUGUSTUS M. RYAN, 0F ABILENE, TEXAS.

' MAIL-BAG cATc Ea.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

Application filed February 8, 1918. Serial No. 216,060.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS M. RYAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Abilene, in the county of Taylor and State of Texas, have invented new and useful Im provements in Mail-Ba Catchers, of which the following is a speci cation.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for receiving mail bags from moving trains.

In carrying out the present invention, it is my purpose to provide a device of the class described which may be set to receive mail bags from trains moving in either direction, which will securely hold the bag when the same is delivered thereto by the train, and which will be constructed in such manner as to reduce the impact between the same and the bag, thereby preventing mutilation of the bag and unnecessary jarring of the component parts of the apparatus.

It is also my purpose to provide a mail bag receiving apparatus which will embrace the desired features of simplicity, efficiency and durability, which will operate effectively under all conditions and wherein the component parts will be so arranged and correlated as to reduce the possibility of derangement to a minimum.

With the above recited objects in View and others of a similar nature, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts set forth in and falling within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a top plan view of a mail receiving apparatus constructed in accordance with my present invention, the same being shown as receiving a mail bag from atrain.

Fig. 2 is a View in side elevation of the train- Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through.

the apparatus.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view therethrough, showing the parts in open position.

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the parts in closed position.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, 1 designates a track-way while 2 indicates a mail car adapted to traverse the trackway 1 and equipped with a mail bag delivery arm, as usual.

Arranged upon one side of the track-way l is a standard 3 suitably braced and, in the present instance, circumferentially reduced as at 4 adjacent to its upper end to form shoulders 55 appropriately spaced apart. Mounted upon the circumferentiallv reduced portion 4 of the standard 3 and capable of rotary-movement thereon is a sleeve 6 held against longitudinal movement with the shoulders 55 and secured to the sleeve 6 in some suitable manner and projected outwardly therefrom are horizontal arms 7-7 spaced apart in parallelism. Secured to the arms 77 respectively adjacent the outer ends thereof are axially alining trunnions 8 and rotatably mounted upon the respective trunnions 8 are plates 99. The lower plate is circular in shape while the upper plate is in the form of a segment and connecting the plates 9-9 is a vertical segmental web 10 secured to the plates adjacent the peripheries thereof and acting to hold such spaced apart. Arranged between the plates 9 9 and arranged, diametrically opposite each other are vertical pivot posts 11, spaced apart equal distances from the respective ends of the web 10. 12-l2 designates semi-circular plates arranged between the plates 99 and pivoted upon the posts 11 respectively. When. the plates 1212 are swung in one direction, the inner ends thereof, that is, the ends adjacent to the web 10 overlap each other while the remaining ends are spaced apart to form an entrance to the space between the plates as clearly illustrated in Fig; 4 of the drawings, while when the plates are swung in the oppositedirection, as shown in Fig. 5, the outer ends thereof overlap each other while the inner ends are spaced apart. the space between the inner ends of the plates being closed by the web 10.

In the present instance, coiled retractile springs 13 are mounted upon the opposite sides of one of the arms 7 and each has one end fastened to the standard 3 and the remaining end secured to the adjacent side of the arm at the outer extremity thereof, such spring acting to hold the arms in normal position and to restore the same to such position succeeding the swinging thereof in one direction or the other. 1414 designates trip arms secured to the upper end of the standard 3 and projecting outwardly from the same above the arms 7-7 and adapted to release the mail bag from the plates properly springs 13 when delivery arm on the car as the latter passes the receiving apparatus.

In practice, when it is desired to set the receiving apparatus to receive a mail bag.

from a passing car, the receiver, composed of the plates 9-9, the web 10 and the plates the bag strikes the inner ends of the plates the latter about the 12, thereby swinging pivot posts 11 to incase the bag and hold the same within the receiver. The arms 7 7 swing against the action of one of the the bag is delivered to the to reduce the'force of the imvpact between the bag and the receiver there'- by preventing mutilation of the bag and unnecessary vibration of the receiving apparatus.

Formed on thetlower plate 9 at diametrically opposite points and projecting outwardly therefrom :are stop arms 1515 adapted to engage the lower arm 7 to limit the turning movement of the receiver in one direction or the other.

While I have herein shown and described one preferred form of my invention, by way' of illustration, 1'' wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details of construction herein describedand delineated, as modification and variation may be made within the scope of the claims and without departing from the spirit of the invention. I

1. Mail bag receiving apparatus comprising a standard arranged adjacent to the track-way, a sleeve loosely surrounding said standard adjacent to the upper end thereof,

arms secured to said sleeve and projecting outwardly therefrom and spaced apart, a receiver mounted between the outer ends Copies of this patent may be obtained for of said arms, and capable of rotation therein and embodying top and bottom plates spaced apart, pivot'posts disposed between said plates and diametrically opposed and curved plates pivoted upon said posts respectively and adapted for swinging movement to'throw the inner ends together and separate the outer ends whereby the bagmay be delivered to the space between the plates and impact againstthe inner ends of the plates to close thelatter around thebags.

Mail bag recelvingappa'ratus compris-- ing a standard arranged adjacent #to the track-way, a sleeve loosely surrounding said standard adjacent totheupper end thereof, f

arm secured to said sleeve and projecting between'the outerends of said arms, and

of rotation thereinan'd embodying top and bottom plates spaced apart, pivot posts disposed between said plates, diametrically opposed and curved plates'piv'oted upon said posts respectively and adapted for swinging movement to throw the inner ends together and whereby the bag 'may capable the inner ends or the plates to close the latter around the bags, and resilient means holding said arms in normal position and adapted to yield under the impact of the bag on said plates. l

3. In mail bag catchingapparatus, a receiver adapted to receive the bag "from the car, comprising plates spaced apart'vertically, diametrically opposed pivot posts between said plates, curved plates "pivoted upon said posts respectively and capable of swinging movement thereon to draw the inner ends together and separate the outer ends} whereby the mail bag may enterthe space between'the plates and impact against the inner ends of the plates to close the second mentioned plates around the bag, means and a web'positioned between the spaced plates to provide supporting said receiver astop for the pivoted curved plates and-to form a continuatlon of the wall of. the receiver.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature,

AUGUSTUS M. RYAN;

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, i

Washington, I). E.

separate the outer ends be delivered to the? space between the plates and impact against- 

